Test-driving the Satechi USB 3.0 Aluminum Hub

You can always use a few more USB ports, and with the new Satechi USB 3.0 Aluminum Hub, you'll add four more speedy ports to your Mac with a single plugin.

Specifications

• Price: US$49.99 (Available at $39.99)

• Material: Aluminum

• Connectivity: USB 3.0 (backwards compatible to USB 2.0)

• Available ports: Four

• Weight: 3.3 oz (93.6 grams)

Design Highlights

I currently use a powered Satechi 7-port USB 3.0 hub, and this 4-port model matches the design in many respects. The body of the hub is a cylindrical shape with a design that points the open ports right at you. It's quite a smart design.

One of my complaints about the 7-port hub has been addressed with the new smaller hub. The big hub has a very bright blue LED that is used to indicate that power is on. How bright? Let's just say that it lights up my office at night. The new hub has LEDs inside the device so that you see a much less garish blue but still know that you have connectivity.

Functionality Highlights

To be honest with you, there's not a lot that you can say about a USB hub other than "it works." I have so many USB devices that I found the extra four ports to be a welcome addition to my desktop. I was able to daisy chain the 4-port model off of the powered 7=port device and everything worked swimmingly.

My only complaint is that this device is a bit overpriced at $39.99 and way overpriced at the "regular" price of $49.99. I've seen powered 4=port USB 3.0 hubs available for as little as $25, so I'm not sure that the sleek aluminum design -- yes, it does look nice next to a Mac -- is really worth double the price.

Finally, I found the shielded cable to be somewhat stiff, which made it difficult to keep the hub from turning on my desk.

Conclusion

The Satechi USB 3.0 Aluminum Hub is good-looking and well built, but somewhat overpriced for a non-powered hub.

Rating: 2-1/2 stars out of 4 stars possible